Zawaya

Understanding depiction by the Maghreb peoples depends on the scholars' opinion

By: Mohamed Yehdih Ould Baba Ahmed

It has almost become a ritual to have controversial television programs every Ramadan, with the production and broadcast of series addressed to Muslims from different sects and walks of life, depicting holy religious figures such as messengers, prophets and companions. This depiction is permissible by some Muslim sects, and rejected or prohibited by others; and this raises several issues regarding how the globalization of television affects the understanding of religious traditions by Muslims peoples.

We will talk here about Maghreb peoples in particular, and how they deal as Sunni Muslims – with a majority of Malikites – with the broadcast of TV Series whose references are considered Shiite by some people, and which affect the sanctity of the prophets and companions in this era of globalization. So how is the globalization of television affecting the understanding of the Islamic legacy by the Maghreb peoples?

I think that we can wonder in this context whether we, Maghreb peoples, can ban these series in our countries. The latest of these series was Qaaqaa bin Omar Tamimi, which depicted major companions, such as the Righteous Caliphs. This is evil and not permitted, and it’s even forbidden according to the majority of Sunni scholars.

Before attempting to tackle these questions, I hope that the Maghreb peoples will form a solid and lofty block that will not fall apart easily and argue about such issues, because both Shiites and Sunnis are sects of Arabic origins, and Islamic orientations.

With regard to the main question, I personally think that the Maghreb peoples can’t but adapt themselves to the system of the unique house, which is a realistic option with no other alternative, in light of the downturn – if not the absence – of a written culture, and the emergence of images as one of the most important mechanisms of globalization in the field of modern media. Images have the ability of creating values, tastes and fashions, and even building a new society based on a new hierarchical structure whose most important, and also dangerous, component in the context of globalization, is satellite TV broadcasting. Our world has become a small screen that can be easily browsed and manipulated according to the individual’s desire and curiosity, without any time or place constraints. This makes everyone – including Maghreb peoples – drift towards one direction. However, even with its positive aspects, the globalization of television has also resulted in many negative things, like the depiction of holy religious figures in the cinema and on television, and the possible developments in understanding the rationale and arguments of the supporters of depiction by our Maghreb peoples. Those supporters associate the opposition that emerged upon the record of oral Islamic culture, with the opposition that the depiction series face currently. Also, one of the shortcomings of the globalization of television is our inability to prevent our peoples from watching series or programs that are not in line with our religious or cultural identity.

The mentality of Maghreb peoples might probably change with time, and acceptance of dissenting opinions might be common among them in the context of the globalization of television, and what the world experiences currently in terms of influencing and being influenced by others. However, all these developments should not alter our religion, or blur our cultural and religious identity, since differentiation is one of Allah’s norms.

In conclusion, the depiction of the messengers, prophets and companions in TV series and movies is a new trend that crosses all borders in the Arabic and Islamic worlds; and the final word about it should be pronounced by the scholars of the Islamic nation. The scholars’ opinion will be the basis on which we can determine the nature of the understanding of Islamic traditions by Maghreb peoples in the context of the globalization of television.